ACCRA, THE TIME BOMB: A CALL FOR TRUE DECENTRALISATION

The names of three cities usually come up whenever the major cities within the country are listed. Takoradi, Kumasi and Accra are the main cities within the country in terms of infrastructure, population, education, industrialization, among others. Although Takoradi and Kumasi are two of the main cities, all can attest to the fact that Accra is the number one on the list.

In Ghana today, it is evident that the development we talk about each day has one city as the focus or reference; the city of Accra. All the major institutions, ministries, manufacturing companies and industries have been sited within the greater Accra region. Each major addition to the nation’s list of cooperate entities has to be automatically cited in Accra. Although there are ten regions within the country, it is sad to note that attention has always been directed at Accra to the neglect of the other regions. A visit to the other regions of the country clearly reveals the underdevelopment within. A lot of regions within the country cannot boast of any major infrastructural development. In terms of transportation, there is still a great deal to be done although efforts have been made. In terms of health, the story is really sad. Most of our regions cannot boast of adequate health facilities. A lot of emergency cases have to be referred to Accra or Kumasi ultimately leading to loss of lives. Even when it comes to social amenities like water, electricity, the conditions are no different. Education which is a priority in most countries is also suffering this same deprivation in towns and cities within the other regions of our dear nation.

With all that is happening, there is one grave issue that we all seem to have lost sight of: what becomes of Ghana today should Accra be faced with a major disaster? From all indications, the economy of our nation will suffer a major blow should the city of Accra and its environs be faced with a major disaster.

Disasters have struck various nations in recent past and so as a country, we ought to start considering some of these issues and make provisions to forestall the effects of such occurrences. The study of the seismicity of Ghana indicates that the greater Accra region is one of the most earthquake-prone areas within the country. Earthquakes occur as a result of tectonic activities and also as a result of pore pressure buildup within the earth. Movement of tectonic plates or continental drifts sometimes results in earthquakes. Also, the sudden release of the pore pressures built up within the earth can also result in earthquakes.

Most people are of the notion that earthquakes can be predicted but in truth, earthquakes can never be predicted. To predict an earthquake requires a forecast of the time, magnitude and location. Scientists are able to warn of earthquakes as a result of some physical changes within the earth and in the environment. These include rise in water levels, abnormal animal behavior, earth tremors, among others but of course, these are not enough indicators of seismic activities since the exact time of occurrence cannot be predicted and the consequence of this is what we have witnessed over the past years in various countries e.g. Haiti.

Over the years, other natural occurrences apart from earthquakes have resulted in several loss of life and properties in other countries. These disasters have occurred as a result of some natural occurrences e.g. climate changes, and also our personal mistakes. Disasters are occurrences for which we have no control over and most of the time not planned for. Even for those that we have some form of control, there is no guarantee of the outcome. Even in countries where emergency plans have been put in place to forestall the effects of some disasters, we have all witnessed the extent of the damages caused. Most of these countries are still recovering from the damage to property although some are irreparable; life lost is irreplaceable.

As a country, it is obvious that we are only interested in providing infrastructure and institutions, in the name of progress and development but we have not made concrete plans or emergency plans should we be faced with some major disaster as has been done in other countries in line with development. As a country, we have put all our eggs in one basket, the basket called Accra. What becomes of our precious nation today if we are faced with a major disaster as has happened in other countries. It has happened in other countries and can equally happen to us. Have we learnt any lessons at all from what happened in these countries or must we always be caught unawares although we are very much aware? Considering the increasing population in the greater Accra region as a result of migration, can we afford to throw caution to the wind?  Will we be able to deal with the depth of destruction, loss of life and damage resulting from a major disaster should it occur within this region?

In the past, several countries have taken certain decisions that have served as a form of national security, one way or the other. Nigeria moved its capital city from Lagos to Abuja which is one of the best ways of ensuring even or uniform development within a country especially when the capital become congested. South Africa as a country has got three main capitals. Cape Town is the legislative capital, Pretoria is the administrative capital whiles Bloemfontein is the judicial capital. With this decentralization, governmental institutions within the country have not been concentrated within one city but have been spread to other parts of the country and all are functioning effectively.  These measures in a way ensure uniform development within the country.

It is evident that as a nation, we have a long way to go. Although several people in the past have called for decentralization, the truth is that this decentralization is yet to be realized since every major institution has been sited in Accra. As a country, should we be faced with any major disaster, what would be the escape route or emergency action? How many international standard airports can we boast of? Is the National Disaster Management Organization equipped enough to handle any major disaster? What about the fire service, police service or the military? What about health care? How many of our hospitals are well resourced to cater for any disaster? Even the existing ones cannot adequately address the needs of citizens.

The local government act 469 was implemented to ensure division of labour, even and speedy development within the nation through the coordination of affairs from all parts of the nation and by all people involved. With this act, districts were created with executives and all were given the mandate of ensuring that the needs of people at the district and grassroots levels were met. Most agencies or institutions within the country have established branches within the various regions to help in the efficient administration but from all indications, most of these regional branches, divisions or representations are not functioning as they should. Whatever transaction one wants to carry out is forwarded to Accra. Although branches have been established in other parts of the country, these branches have no power at all to take decisions since the power comes from above; Accra. Even when it comes to entertainment, the best is always reserved for the greater Accra region to the neglect of the other regions. This is a wake up call to all!

In the past, various governments have tried finding lasting solutions to our rapidly increasing urban migration in the country and have failed in this attempt. It is clear that the failure of these attempts is linked to our poor or failed decentralization. For most people from the rural areas, the only USA or London they know of is Accra. Yes, a lot of people believe they cannot succeed unless they live in Accra and that is in truth, valid. When it comes to employment, most short listing and interviews are done in Accra. When it comes to the entertainment industry, most attractive deals happen in Accra. Anyone leaving any of our rural areas in pursuit of greener pastures ends up in Accra. All roads ultimately lead to Accra. The end result of this is the overcrowding of our capital city leading to increased traffic and its associated crime.

Until we learn to take decentralization more seriously as a nation, the traffic problems and crime increment we face as a nation would keep on increase. It is about time we start looking for an alternative capital city for our country since in the event of a major disaster taking into consideration the extent of industrialization in the greater Accra region, we might not survive as a nation.

NEW! NEW! NEW!

THE POLICE: OUR FRIENDS OR FRIENDS OF CRIMINALS?

Recently, I visited a police station because I had been informed of the arrest of someone known to the family. The call came in that morning from one of the arresting officers who was known to the family. At the station, we were told that this person had escaped from custody. The story was that he went out to urinate and took to his heels afterwards. I was really shocked at first but later on, that shock turned into anger. I was angry because it became clear that he had been allowed to escape and not the story that he had escaped on his own accord. There and then I realized that I was in danger! Fellow citizens, I am sorry to say this but we are all in danger!

Each day, other suspects and criminals alike escape just as this person escaped. I got to know about this particular escape because I knew the person involved but what about those that happen that we are unaware of?

Several criminals escape from our police stations all the time, each day without us knowing! Picture this: You report a hardened criminal in your neighbourhood one morning and he/she gets arrested. You then go about your normal life activities thinking that you are safe since this criminal is out of your way. Unknown to you and just like the person I spoke about earlier on, he escapes or worse still, is aided by the police to escape and you now find yourself being confronted by this criminal later on, what then happens to you? Who do you report to afterwards of you manage to escape the confrontation alive? This is a serious issue since it can be life threatening.

If criminals in our police stations are escaping or being aided to escape, then we are all in danger. Do not even for once think that you are safe because most often, these people escape their towns or cities of arrest and resettle elsewhere and this may be your village, town, city, neighbourhood or even your country.

Our police stations are supposed to be safe houses and places where criminals cannot escape but clearly from what I witnessed that day, we are all living in a fool’s paradise. There should be no reason for the escape of anyone arrested and held in police custody.

There was also something else I witnessed that day; this police station was totally in a state of lawlessness, a free zone perhaps. Ordinarily, I thought that before anyone could talk to someone in a cell or even at the counter-back, authorization had to be given by the policeman/woman present. I was shocked when one young man walked into this station, stood by the counter and started shouting out to a friend locked up in one of the cells right in the presence of the police officers on duty at that time. An attempt by one of the police women to shut him up fell on deaf ears. This young man was clearly at home as he kept on shouting out his message along with profanities.

If this is the atmosphere in most of our police stations, is it then surprising when criminals now run into our police stations in search of arms and even attack police officers on duty? With such an atmosphere in most of our police stations, it is so clear how some people return from our cells without making any change for the better. They rather pick up worse attitudes and do not care being arrested again; they get used to the atmosphere. I thought suspects and criminals were to feel intimidated by our police stations but what I saw that day left more to be desired. If this is what is happening in our police stations, I wonder what is happening in our prisons and it is then not surprising to see the current increases in chaos on our streets; lawlessness on the rampage.

Our police men and women are supposed to be our friends but with their conditions at work and even at home, they are gradually becoming the friends of criminals. These days, most people do not even want to go to the police station to lodge complaints but rather prefer to settle their own cases. The resultant is the mob justice we read of or even watch on television these days often leading to the death of innocent people. This cannot continue!

The police administration should sit up and look into this issue. Our police men and women should take up their roles more seriously and conduct themselves in the manner expected as law enforcement agents. Today, they may not see the direct impacts of their actions and inactions but tomorrow, it will be felt if not by them but by people close and dear to them. What do you gain from allowing a suspect to run free? Any police officer guilty of this crime is as guilty as that suspect and even worse as a law enforcement agent. I believe a lot of our law enforcement agents and agencies need to be investigated from time to time in order to effectively assess their performance.

There was another thing I realized that day since this was my first visit to a police station. The whole place looked dirty and even smelly. The atmosphere did not echo or dictate discipline. I think our police men and women deserve better working conditions and our police stations need a face lift. The floor area looked so dirty and for the seats and counter, I did not want to sit on any to even consider touching the counter. All looked so dirty and I wonder the state of most of the cells.

In Ghana, there is a common trend in locating our police stations. Most of our police stations apart from some of the regional offices are all dilapidated structures. The structures functioning as our police stations are all in terrible states. Even in some towns, the police stations are found attached to some residential buildings and I wonder if they pay rent for that. As for their residential accommodations, I cannot even begin to describe it. How unfortunate!

What kind of excuse can we continue giving? In saying this, I wish I could shout out! Clearly, there are a lot of things wrong with the system in Ghana and our agencies especially the governmental ones! How long must we wait to see the change we want? How can we combat crime if the very institutions responsible are all facing problems of logistics? We pride ourselves in calling this country a developing country but the basic infrastructure and foundations required for this development are either nonexistent or in terrible states.

Oh Ghana, Oh Ghana, when? How long must we wait? We keep hearing people talking about change but I am yet to see this change we so often talk about and hear. I am tired of to listening to the same things all the time!

When it comes to our law enforcement agencies, there should be no compromise! The atmosphere in our police stations should be one that commands respect and discipline. The time to act is now and this call goes to the responsible ministry. As citizens, we should also make a strong appeal. If our police stations are not safe anymore, then we are all in danger!

We cannot enjoy the safety of our homes if our police stations and police men/women are encouraging suspects and criminals to run free. We cannot enjoy the safety of our homes if our very own law enforcement agencies and agents are not equipped enough to protect us. If our own police men are being attacked in our police stations, what then becomes of the ordinary citizen walking the streets, at the work place or at home? Even our churches are not being spared these days.

I know there are some law enforcement agents out there who still know the true meaning of the ‘law enforcement’ and hence carry on with their responsibilities diligently. I salute them all! For those who have with time and through no fault of theirs. The time to act is now! We cannot wait any longer! We are tired of waiting! This is a matter of life and danger!

Published: Daily Graphic (13^th Oct. 2010).

UNPROFESSIONALISM, OUR BANE

The formal system of education imparts knowledge in a field of endeavour by the use of trained teachers, who have undergone several years of schooling themselves, during which time they have acquired both theoretical and some practical knowledge in a particular field of endeavour in a more formal enabling environment. With the informal system, skill acquisition stems from watching how it is done. It directly involves practical knowledge acquisition from years of apprenticeship without one necessarily understanding the theories behind the skill acquired.

Both system of education come with various advantages and disadvantages. The informal system has over the years enabled thousands or perhaps millions of people gain employment through skill acquisition but has also to an extent encouraged unprofessionalism. Most people, through this system obtain knowledge on how a particular thing is done; in an event where a change is  necessary, may not be able to make a useful input since the theory behind something being  done in a particular way is unknown. It does not encourage dynamism.

This trend can be seen in various sectors of our economy but the sector that affects us directly is the industry (construction). This is one of the major contributing sectors of our economy and hence it’s of grave importance that we take a critical look at this trend that is becoming the norm of the day. The building block of the economy in Ghana involves three main sectors: agriculture, industry (construction, manufacturing etc) and services with the bulk of employment being in the construction industry.

Construction involves the creation of infrastructure for the benefit of the populace. The construction industry can be grouped into the building and civil setup. The building sector as the name implies refers mainly to the construction of buildings (masonry, woodworks etc.) whiles the civil sector involves the planning, design and construction of roads, bridges, airports, railways, dams etc.

For all these to work effectively, both sectors must coordinate. For these sectors to be managed effectively also, various professionals of high expertise must be called into play. These professionals include the Architect, Civil engineer, Building technologist, Quantity surveyor, Electrical engineer, Materials engineer, Draftsman, etc. A professional can be described as one, with a high degree of skill or competence and whose occupation requires extensive education or specialized training in a particular field of endeavour.

A professional might indeed have a high fee as compared to the ordinary artisan but the assurance here is that a well thought-out design will be implemented. The result at the end of the day will undoubtedly be the best taking into consideration safety, economy and efficiency.

Examining the current trend around us, it is evident that a lot of the infrastructural development that has sprung up in recent times has been done without employing these professionals: the main excuse being financial. Are we then saying that money is of value to us than our lives?

One will argue that structures have been built and are functioning effectively without consulting the so-called professionals. Yes, the argument is valid but have you thought of the danger that you live in each day? Unknowingly, death stares at us all the time.

Most of these artisans work from experience; the experience gained by their masters but not necessarily themselves; the experience grained from doing one thing in a particular way for a long time but not understanding the logic behind it. What happens if conditions change? These structures are standing today but have you thought of tomorrow? Should these structures fail, have you thought of the extra money that will be spent on renovation and possible re-construction? Talk about the loss of life; can life be replaced? Again, we cannot rule out the fact that although some people did not receive any form of tertiary or extensive education in their field of endeavour, their knowledgebase and skills can be likened to a professional. They are indeed professionals of their own capacity.

In recent times, there have been a lot of natural disasters globally and even our own country. Various earthquakes have struck various countries of alarming magnitudes leaving irreparable damage to property and ultimately, loss of life. Let us talk about the floods, hurricanes and tsunamis that have occurred. One would think that it is so far from us and hence cannot be bothered but the weather is unpredictable and so are disasters. Disasters occur because they are things we don’t plan for. Earthquakes can occur anywhere and at anytime! Earthquakes are unpredictable! All that is needed is tectonic plate movement or pressure buildup along fault planes in the underlying soil/rock. Talk about the damages that have occurred in these countries, mostly found in poor regions. Have we sat down to ask the question why the damages recorded were so high in poor areas?

A lot of these damages occurred in very poor neighbourhoods, cities and even countries e.g. Haiti. These grave damages were as a result of the bad construction works that were carried out in these places. They did not have enough money and hence employed poor construction methods, making use of cheap labour and construction materials with no form of planning whatsoever! Some could afford but just chose to be cheap. The situation might have been different had a highly skilled professional been employed notwithstanding the cost.

This list can go on without end but until something is done by us, we might one day face the predicament these countries have faced and still face or something even worse.

Back home in Ghana, the major natural disaster that confronts us each year is the floods and even with that, we can all attest to the damages these have caused over the years; loss of life and property. Various structures have collapsed overnight with people drawing different conclusions. The answer is simple. The professionals were not sought and hence, the right design, materials and method of construction was not applied. Let us leave superstitions behind and do the right thing. God helps those who help themselves.

Various agencies and departments have been established in the country to enforce professionalism from one sector of the economy to the other but as we can well imagine, these agencies are not functioning as they should.

In the construction industry, the agencies responsible are mainly governmental. For transportation; the ministry of transportation, for housing; the ministry of works and housing. These are just two of the sector ministries but it can be said that their responsibilities are extensive, should they enforce the code of ethics.

The construction industry these days is such that any one who has the financial capacity after obtaining the necessary documents calls himself a contractor. A lot of these contractors have no prior knowledge in the chosen field of construction. Although the requirement for establishment of a construction firm requires a list of workers and their various qualifications among others, these contractors manage to come up with fake documentation and are given the nod at the end of the day. The end results are the bad roads and building works we see around us each day. For the contractor to employ a qualified professional, he’d rather employ an unskilled labour and then pay less than he would have to pay a professional although the contract sum is enough to cater for such expenses. More stringent measures should be put in place to ensure that these contractors employ professionals.

These are some of the sad realities around us. People are investing several years in school, learning all that they need to know in a particular field of endeavour, only to end up jobless at the end of the day simply because we are not ready to part with some extra money to ensure that our best interest is served. We can as usual, point accusing fingers at the government for failing to enforce the laws that have been created to ensure professionalism but again, we are all to blame. We encourage this all the time. It is true that law enforcement on the part of the government is terrible but as citizens, let us raise our voices and speak up on this issue! Even the very governmental monitoring and law enforcement agencies set up are not being professional. Let us not endorse shoddy works! We should insist on our rights for the best! It is high time we stop putting square pegs in round holes! Let us make a good investment today! Remember: Nothing good comes cheap!

The day you decide to pocket some money and employ the unskilled labour for a task that requires highly skilled labour is the very day you endorse unprofessionalism. It is high time we take this seriously. We should always learn from what happens to others rather than wait for it to happen to us in order to learn from the experience. Experience is not always the best teacher. It can leave you scarred and embittered for life!

Published: Daily Graphic (August 18^th, 2010).

PRESS FREEDOM: THERE SURE HAS TO BE A LIMIT

Our freedom of speech indeed has reached its peak in Ghana. These days, people say whatever they like quite freely however true or false it may be devoid of the emotional implications. In the past, people and hence our media were a little more circumspect in their dealings and were quite mindful of what others may do or say whether good or bad; indeed, they were diplomatic in their dealings. These days, it is unbelievable listening to the way and manner in which people speak in public; all caution has been thrown to the wind. In the name of freedom of speech and press freedom, people have become more bold and forthcoming in their utterances. It is indeed sometimes disheartening and saddening to listen to the derogative statements people make on our airwaves. I sometimes cannot help but wonder how the victims might feel if they should listen to such.

Yes, a lot of things are happening around us which need to be addressed. It is the responsibility of our media to keep citizens abreast with all that is happening around us. The media is charged with the responsibility of educating, informing and entertaining us all and hence people both young and old are encouraged to listen to and watch the radio or television. For most people, the only education they get is by watching the television or listening to the news especially the younger generation since there is usually so much on these media. It is for this reason that a censorship board exists in each country to monitor and ensure that whatever is being transmitted at any point in time is appropriate for the various categories of audience. When it comes to the television, we have parental control measures in place. What about the airwaves? What censorship measures have been put in place to ensure that all that is being said and done meets the censorship board’s requirement? I believe we need to consider that.

In Ghana today in line with modern times and as advocated by several individuals, press freedom is at its peak just as freedom of speech and expression. Innocent people are attacked each day in the name of freedom of speech. Reputations are being tarnished each day in the name of freedom of speech. Verbal abuse has become the order of the day in the name of freedom of speech. The peace and unity we are all fighting to maintain and improve is being destroyed by some of our press. The citizenry is being misinformed all the time on our various media and nothing is being done. Our press in their own way is inciting people all the time and nothing is being done about it. Our press are gradually becoming above the law! With their little notebooks, pens or microphones, they are becoming more powerful each day. Indirectly, they are playing their own game of politics and their faithful listeners have become their follower of party faithful. Yes, a lot of our press these days has become politicians in disguise.

In all this, there is one particular group of people who never cease to amaze me and sometimes leave me with a feeling of disgust. On our airwaves we often listen to news readers in our local dialect preferably Twi. It is sometimes unbelievable what these people say just in the name of news reading. Since when did the reading of news turn into a forum for exchange of profanity?

People listen to or watch the radio and television respectively, for information, education and entertainment. When it comes to the news, I believe it is mainly for information and education. There are some entertaining aspects of the news I believe but most often, these Twi radio newscasters have decided to turn all of that into entertainment. Perhaps, their natural calling is in comedies. They shamelessly make profane remarks on our airwaves and sometimes leave me worried. What is our world coming to? We should bear in mind that our airwaves are not only open to adults but to children as well. What do we expect the young ones to pick from this as information and education? How free can our press be? There is a limit to everything. There is a limit to press freedom and hence the libel law. What are our media commission and censorship board doing about this? What about the managers or owners of these stations, have they no reputation to maintain?

Clearly, our press these days are taking the message of freedom of speech too far. We should be careful of our utterances because as humans, we have feelings and we ought to examine the emotional implications of whatever we say however true it may be. The truth can be said in a mild way and can have the desired effect. In the same way just as people are becoming bold each day in their utterances, I believe our courts should also be made open to such people. It is time we started making use of our courts for such people. Anyone who makes any false derogative statement should be made to face the law as is done in the developed world. Even in the developed or western countries where we picked up or copied the freedom of speech, they have limits and are very careful of whatever is said on air. The consequence of libel is a court sanction and I believe the time has come for us to take up such bold measures to curb and forestall this canker. Our press should be made accountable for whatever they say on air.

As citizens, we all have a moral obligation to each other. For this reason, all are expected to work hard wherever they find themselves towards the nation’s development and progress. In all this, our press has a major role to play; they serve as the liaisons between the various factions and keep citizens up to date with whatever is happening within the country and beyond. That I believe is a noble course but with the attitude of some of our press these days, it leaves more to be desired. Our media should be careful of their reportage and not make any unnecessary additions or implications as far as the news is concerned. We ought to bear in mind that the populace is made up of so many different groups of people with diverse opinions and cultures. What is understood and accepted by one culture or individual may actually be an abomination in another culture. Whatever is heard or read is subject to so many different interpretations. As the press, the news should be reported as it should or subject to their best discretion. Indeed, our press has a major role to play in ensuring peace and unity in the nation and should always be mindful of that.

It is unnecessary and bad ethics to deliberately attack innocent victims just to create news or spark undue attention. It is inhumane and cold to create humor out of issues that are sensitive and especially life threatening. It is bad ethics to be bias in opinion as a journalist. Especially where children are concerned, we ought to be careful of whatever we say around them. Whatever information they carry around is based on what they see and hear. Our press has a moral obligation to us all to ensure that the truth is told at all times. They should be mindful of the language they use because whatever we hear is subject to our individual interpretations and so their utterances should not be overly suggestive. There is a limit to everything. Press freedom has its limit too.

Published: Daily Graphic (1^st. Dec. 2010).

WE ARE THE GOVERNMENT

From time immemorial, it has always been the nature of man to shed blame for a problem as was done by Eve in the book of Genesis. This trend can be realized in the ease with which the general public/citizens, subordinates etc. point accusing fingers at leaders or heads for the various problems that confront us in our day to day activities.

Talk about increases in fuel prices, goods and services, bad nature of the environment and roads, poor infrastructure, and the ordinary Ghanaian is quick to mention the name of the President. Talk about low wages arising from low productivity and the average worker/employee is quick to blame the employer or in most cases, government.

Most often than not, such accusations are true. The question most people fail to ask or even think about is: What have I done or failed to do that has contributed to this? One way or the other, we are all responsible. The basic law of nature or the butterfly effect states: whatever we do affects the environment (man, surroundings) in one way or the other.

Talk about increment in prices of utilities and all over, people are complaining. Yes, we must but what about the one who refuses to pay and the one who uses illegal connections. Someone has to take this cost. Have you stopped to think of the fact that someone is illegally connected into one of your utilities network?

Talk about possible increase in fuel prices by government or the responsible agencies and the driver upon hearing this decides to make adjustments to his fares without any consultation. This is often done even before the new rates are applied and in most cases, the percentage increments announced by the government should in actual fact be negligible to the citizens but the adjustments made by transport owners can be felt in everyone’s pocket.

Talk about the increase in food stuffs in our local markets and shops each day. What has triggered these? Is it fuel prices or what? Is it the government who regulates those as well? Excuses for these increments spans from increment of fuel prices with its associated lorry fare increments but the question here is: How realistic or practical is that? Was the government present when the market woman was adjusting the prices of her goods? Was the government present when the driver decided to increase fares?

The driver who decides on his own discretion to increase vehicular fares should also be prepared to buy goods and services at increased rates. The worker who refuses to be productive should be ready for low salaries. The citizen who refuses to pay for utilities and decides on illegal connections should take the blame for the bad state of the economy and so should the person who is aware of these but refuses to report to the right authorities.

All around us, we can see clearly the effects of our actions and inactions. With the rains this year has come several disasters. Floods have rendered people homeless and destitute because building codes, area maps and responsible agencies were not consulted during the construction of several structures. Indiscriminate littering leading to choked gutters were contributing factors all from our actions. Sadly, some of these could be avoided if only we went about things using the right channels. The one who is seen to be doing the right thing in our society is often picked on by those who have disregard for what is right. What has our world come to? This is not what the Osagyefo fought for, that I am very sure.

This blame game can go on and on. It is when we take responsibilities for our actions that we are able to find remedies. Rather than blaming the government, we should blame ourselves for WE ARE THE GOVERNMENT.

Published: Daily graphic (Jul. 19^th, 2010).